This is the real reason RUTO is reluctant to reconstitute IEBC even as pressure increases

Monday, December 9, 2024 – President William Ruto is having a real challenge reconstituting the new electoral body even as pressure piles on him to do so.

Kenyans have launched an odd social media campaign to persuade the government to speed up the process of constituting a new electoral agency.

Under the hashtag #appointiebcnow, hundreds of Kenyans voiced their concern about what they termed a deliberate attempt by the Kenya Kwanza Government to establish a functioning IEBC.

However, the process of reconstituting a new electoral agency has been stifled by two court cases and Kenyans may have to wait until January for the process to be set in motion.

In August, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) issued an interim order stopping President William Ruto from appointing a panel to pick the IEBC's commissioners at least until a dispute over a nominee is resolved.

This was after Augustus Kyalo Muli of the National Labour Party moved to court to sue Azimio la Umoja for attempting to delist him from the list presented by political parties. NLP maintains that was duly elected in July amid an onslaught from Ambassador Koki Muli, who was strongly backed by Kalonzo Musyoka. 

Another petition by Boniface Njogu filed at the Kiambu High Court in October also challenged the appointment of the nominees to the IEBC selection panel, claiming a lack of representation of persons living with disabilities.

This petition ultimately halted the panel-selection process as Kiambu High Court Judge Dora Chepkwony gave conservatory orders barring the appointment of the panel until the matter was heard.

The matter is set to be determined on January 25, 2025.

With the pending court cases, Ruto is helpless and cannot do anything to reconstitute the electoral body.

The Kenyan DAILY POST